Al-Qassim power plant — Saudi Arabia
Gas power plant in Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia. Approximate location 26.204, 44.016.
GasAl-QassimSaudi ArabiaCCGT · HRSGGE Vernova: 7HA.03CO₂ modelled
Al-Qassim power plant is a 2,027 MW gas power station in Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia. It is operated by Saudi Electricity Co. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 2.3 million homes (estimated). It ranks #24 of 156 Saudi Arabia power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2017, it is around 9 years old — relatively modern. Its modelled annual emissions are 4,860,700 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 1.1 million cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 63.3% of Saudi Arabia's electricity; the national grid averages 692 gCO₂/kWh (2.2% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id CT-6419.
Data status
Known data
Modelled source data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Capacity provenance
The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 1,080 MW for Al-Qassim power plant, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000407990; fuel: Climate TRACE
In context: how this plant compares
At 2,027 MW, Al-Qassim power plant is well above the median gas plant in Saudi Arabia (496.7 MW). Technically it is described as CCGT; combined-cycle with a heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG); GE Vernova: 7HA.03. Gas plants burn natural gas either in open-cycle turbines for fast peaking, or in combined-cycle units that recover exhaust heat in an HRSG to reach roughly 55–62% efficiency — the cleanest-burning fossil option.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
~4,860,700 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms
This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:
Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.
Key facts
- Share of Saudi Arabia gas capacity
- 2.3% of 89,013 MW across 71 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 45 of 60 dated gas plants in Saudi Arabia are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest gas plants in Saudi Arabia
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Saudi Electricity Co. All plants by this company →
Local climate & thermal context
This gas plant burns natural gas in a turbine — often in a combined-cycle setup — to generate electricity. It sits in a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 26.2°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
Heating degree-days here run 86% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.
Climate heat-demand index: 18/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.
A gas turbine here also runs ~7% below its ISO (15°C) rating at this annual mean (typical CCGT curve, estimate).
Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
The #17 largest gas power plant of 71 in Saudi Arabia by capacity.
Saudi Arabia has 71 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 89,013 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- QASSIM CENTRAL · Oil · 1,610.7 MW · Al-Qassim
- BURAIDAH · Oil · 104.5 MW · Al-Qassim
- Al-Rais power plant · Gas · 2,400 MW · Western Region
- Altaaqa 2 Mobile power plant · Oil · 110 MW · Ar Riyad
- Altaaqa 1 Mobile power plant · Oil · 95 MW · Ar Riyad
Location
Coordinates 26.204, 44.016 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Al-Qassim power plant?
Al-Qassim power plant is a 2,027 MW gas power plant in Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia, commissioned in 2017.
Who operates Al-Qassim power plant?
Al-Qassim power plant is operated by Saudi Electricity Co.
How much CO₂ does Al-Qassim power plant emit?
Al-Qassim power plant has modelled emissions of about 4,860,700 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).